Japanese Encephalitis claims 8 more, toll at 374

Published: Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 21:34 [IST]

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Gorakhpur, Oct 30 (UNI) The killer vector-borne menace, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), continued to target children in eastern Uttar Pradesh with the toll mounting to a staggering figure of 374, following eight more deaths in the last 24 hours.

Official sources said since January almost 2,166 JE patients had been admitted at the famous Baba Raghav Das Medical College here and district hopitals of the Gorakhpur division, of which 374, including 47 Biharis and three Nepalis, succumbed.

Gorakhpur has the dubious distiction of being the JE epicentre in the region. The endemic afflicts eastern UP during monsoon every year. Last year, the killer disease had taken almost 1,000 people under its jaws.

The government undertakens a massive vaccination drive against the vector-borne disease every year, however, the efficacy and penetration of the drive comes under cloud with the mounting toll.